Oklahoma museum ‘works’ for Smithsonian exhibit

Har-Ber Village, a vast collection of 19th and 20th century antiquities, sprawls back from the banks of Grand Lake in Grove, Okla. It bills itself as “an Oklahoma pioneer history museum,” a description that doesn’t reflect its Arkansas roots.

“Har-Ber Village got its start nearly 50 years ago when Harvey and Bernice Jones built a chapel on the grounds of their summer residence in Grove,” explains Amelia Chamberlain, the museum’s executive director. “Harvey was the founder of Jones Truck Lines in Springdale, Arkansas, and started the museum to preserve the past for his community. One thing led to another, and by the mid1980s, many of the current buildings had been built.”

Over the years, the museum has relied on its permanent collections to bring in visitors. But every once in awhile, says Chamberlain, an opportunity to host comes along. This spring, the touring exhibit was provided by the Smithsonian Institution, titled “The Way We Worked.”

Spanning the years 1857 to 1987, the exhibition’s 86 black-and-white and color photographs document American workplaces, work clothing, working conditions and workplace conflicts. “The Way We Worked” reveals the effects of industrialization, urbanization, immigration, labor unrest, wars and economic

depression on ordinary working Americans, whether they toiled in a coal mine, on a tractor, at a typewriter or on an assembly line.

Chamberlain answered these questions for the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Q. How does the exhibit fit with Har-Ber Village’s mission?

A. Our mission: To collect and preserve historical items, authentic to the American experience, for the whole family to enjoy and understand within a scenic and inspirational setting.

Through the objects we have on display and the cultural programs we offer, we strive to educate visitors in entertaining ways about American and Cherokee history, making connections between the present and the past so people have a context in which to interpret what they learn. “The Way We Worked” exhibit uses authentic photographs, oral histories and objects to show how work impacts us and connects us and shapes us.

Q. How will the permanent exhibits be drawn in as companions to the Smithsonian exhibit?

A. We have been planning for some time to add exhibit panels that provide historical context, local connections and pictures to help people better understand the concepts of the exhibits. As part of hosting the exhibit, we were able to receive some grant funding [which] provided us with the opportunity to research and produce panels for nearly 30 exhibits. Each panel has a slightly different approach, but provides a brief bit of history, then cites quotes or events from Delaware County citizens from a variety of communities. Historical photographs from the Delaware County Historical Society “green book” were used to enrich the panels. Once the Smithsonian exhibit travels on to its next destination, these panels will remain to educate and entertain.

Q. Is this the first big exhibit of this kind Har-Ber Village has hosted? Is it something you plan to do more of?

A. About seven years ago, we had a traveling exhibit of quilts — I believe Oklahoma Historical Society put [that] together — and four years ago we had a traveling exhibit that was about taking care of your family heirlooms from the State Office of Preservation. Finding quality exhibits at a price we can afford is a challenge, but we keep our eyes and ears open. If another appropriately themed Smithsonian exhibit comes around, we will be sure to apply for it.

“The Way We Worked,” Courtesy Photo on loan from the Smithsonian, is on exhibit this month at Har-Ber Village in Grove, Okla. The museum, highlighting 19th- and 20th-century antiquities, was started by Harvey Jones, founder of Jones Truck Lines in Springdale, and his wife Bernice.